It all feels like a lifetime ago. The Browns still had a competitive edge back then, and former WR Rashard Higgins had briefly become a fan favorite in Cleveland, catching touchdown passes from Baker Mayfield. It made a lot of sense for Higgins to retire the same way he came into the league, even if it meant signing a one-day contract with the Browns. There, he was at the Browns’ CrossCountry Mortgage Campus for his final press conference. Holding up his jersey No. 82 next to Christian Kirksey’s No. 58, he felt the same love for the city that once embraced him as a prospect out of Iowa all those years ago.

It has been a year since he retired. And instead of living on the razor-thin margins of NFL Sundays, Higgins has stepped into a new role built on service and purpose. In an Instagram post, he revealed his next chapter: becoming a firefighter in Dallas.

True to the traits that made him a Browns favorite, Higgins framed his new path not as a job but as a calling that came after much reflection on fatherhood and faith. “Becoming a firefighter gives me that chance to show up when people need it most. To be the one running in when everyone else is running out. To save lives, or simply to stand beside someone on their worst day. I found God. I found my purpose. And the same rush I felt under the lights, is the same rush i get when i put on my boots and step into that fire. IM HIM. BEEN HIM. STILL HIM.”

In the quieter stretch between his NFL retirement and this announcement, Higgins had focused on his life at home, raising his two sons, Sevin and Saynt, and leaning fully into fatherhood. That period away from the game gave him a different kind of perspective and, in his own words, laid the groundwork for the purpose he’s chasing now. And yet, tucked just beneath all that conviction, Higgins left a soft plea to the fans and fellow players. 

Under his post, he commented, “I hope i make you proud 🖤” And well, it drew a wave of support from across the league. Even former Browns Pro Bowler Jarvis Landry chimed in to back his old teammate: “GLOOOOORRRYYYYY,” Landry wrote, adding three fire emojis and a verse from Isaiah 43:2: “When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”

It was a nod from someone who had shared the field with Higgins for four years and was now ready to cheer him on in his second act.

Rashard Higgins: from stardom to second acts

‘Hollywood’ was a fitting moniker, but one with roots. Higgins earned it back in fourth grade from his pee-wee football coach. Even as a little kid, he played with swagger, never shying away from big hits or flashy plays. His coach told him that if he kept making those game-changing moves, the name ‘Hollywood’ would stick. From that moment on, Higgins carried it from Colorado to Cleveland and then to Carolina. “I can’t mess up. It comes with responsibilities, naming yourself with a name like ‘Hollywood,’” he once said. “…Hollywood doesn’t drop the ball.” 

Drafted in the fifth round in 2016, Higgins was often the underdog but never a liability. His stats backed it up: 1,890 yards and 12 touchdowns over 137 career receptions in 82 games for the Browns. Amid it all, Higgins’ “Hollywood” red-carpet celebration became one of the Browns’ most iconic moments. After scoring, he’d walk an imaginary red carpet, straighten his tie, and grab a pretend suitcase while teammates played paparazzi. The routine peaked in December 2020 against the Titans, when Baker Mayfield slid in to snap an imaginary photo.

Just as Higgins had been a security blanket for former Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (despite stars like Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry on the roster), he’s stepping into a similar role off the field. Now, as a firefighter, he’ll once again be the dependable presence in high-pressure moments, trading playbooks for emergency calls but keeping the same instinct to protect and support.